Tropical Trifecta Homemade Granola

I can’t believe it! I froze my ears off on Saturday. -2 degrees Celsius already?! I thought we still had time before the icy fingers of winter grabbed us! I’m definitely not ready for this winter.

Shivering in my boots, I realized it was time to bring out the scarves, hats, mittens, and the woolen socks. It’s moments like those when you just wish you were laying on a beach, enjoying a warm tropical breeze – sipping something coco-nutty. The thought stayed with me all weekend, until this morning. Desperate for something…anything tropical, I concocted a delicious new way to enjoy granola. I’ve combined my three favourite tropical flavours: coconut, mango, and pineapple and it resulted in one healthy breakfast that will last all week! Say hello to the Tropical Trifecta Homemade Granola! No, it’s not the same as being in Cuba, but it’s better than nothing!

The best thing about granola is that there’s no end to what you can put into it. Don’t like pineapple? Put in dried papaya instead (a seriously delicious alternative). The light mango-coconut flavour coats each oat and nut beautifully and compliments the pineapple in this version.

Quick tip: With granola, you really do have to watch the oats carefully. There’s a fine line between beautifully crunchy granola and burnt granola. I tend to like it on the crispier side – so I made sure I was stirring and tossing the granola enough and lowering the heat when I noticed the shredded coconut was browning.

I added some extra coconut at the end! For an awesome way to enjoy your granola, buy some vanilla almond milk and eat it like cereal! This granola does a wonderful job of flavouring your milk, too! What would you add to this granola?

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Rub the cooking spray in with a paper towel and spray again. (this is done to ensure the granola doesn't stick to the foil)

Mix together oats, almonds and shredded coconut in a large bowl

Add mango puree, honey, and coconut oil in a pot over low heat and mix until completely combined

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of oats, almonds, and coconut. Mix until all dry ingredients are coated

Spread the mixture evenly onto the lined pan and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes tossing every 10 minutes. Granola should be golden brown

Add in fruit chunks and store in an airtight container once it's cooled down